Enemy by Association
by afamiliarsmile
Summary: No longer a One-shot. A series of drabbles written after I discovered Jonathan Groff would be on Glee. This is my take on Rachel's reaction to the male diva.
1. Enemy by Association

**Author's Note**: I wrote this awhile ago but figured with the absence of Glee that I might as well post it. This was written after it was announced that Jonathan Groff would be guest starring on the show. This is pretty much what I could see happening in my head. Technically it isn't a spoiler at all, well, unless you didn't know he was going to be on the show.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this pointless little drabble. Please review!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Glee or any of its characters, blah blah, you know the drill.

* * *

She had watched him before. He made Vocal Adrenaline the outstanding regional champions they were. She was giddy with excitement and nerves as she sat with her fellow glee club members. They had not watched a performance that he was a part of. He often took long periods of vocal rest where he would work with a private tutor. He was the best of the best and Rachel hadn't even met him face to face. But oh how she knew of him!

Now his voice soared as all of them paraded about onstage with their dances. Chills shot up her spine and her arms were covered in goose bumps. A sigh left her parted lips as she settled back against the auditorium chair. Out of the corner of her eye she was able to see both Puck and Finn glance toward her curiously. She fought back a smile and watched him instead.

When the song had finished she clapped along with everyone else. Perhaps she was a bit too enthusiastic because her team members along with Mr. Schuester were shooting odd looks her way. At that point she couldn't find it in herself to care because his light eyes had fallen on her before locking onto her own chocolate orbs. She swore that he smiled at just her then and it was confirmed when he ran a hand through his mess of brown locks and winked. She felt her cheeks flush as her smile grew.

He was a part of Vocal Adrenaline; her mind hissed at her, he was competition. Well sure, he was dubbed an enemy by association but it was then that she decided it wouldn't matter to her. She would know him, she had to. Whatever Rachel Berry wanted she was accustomed to getting. Right now she wanted the boy on stage with his blue eyes and dark hair, the boy that could obviously keep up with her vocally, the boy that had her blushing and smiling and clapping all at once. Oh yes, she would know him.


	2. Stalkerina

**Author's Note**: So this is no longer a one shot. It isn't really a story either. It's more of a collection of one-shots that connect to each other I guess. They're still drabbles.

Regardless please read and review!

**Disclaimer**: See the first chapter.

* * *

She wasn't a stalker. Well, not really. She never did anything crazy. She didn't steal his things or photograph him or anything. No, she just happened to end up where he was. She was clever though. Or at least she was enough to know that she needed to blend into the background to avoid being caught. Not that she could be caught with anything. She just watched. She observed.

After all people watching wasn't quite stalking. People did it every day. Well, maybe there was something wrong with it. There was something off about it when she pulled out her note pad to take notes. But she was spying for the glee club, which made it better. But it didn't.

She felt dirty following him around. She felt guilty. It had been Santana's brilliant idea and everyone had jumped to agree. The idea was to follow the male star around and figure out anything about Vocal Adrenaline possible. But she had gotten stuck with the job. They had roped her in by reminding her that she was the captain and she had a duty to withhold. But it still felt wrong. She had been told to do anything to get information. She felt like Puck. She felt like Finn when he had used her feelings to his advantage. But somewhere she knew that no matter how wrong it felt she looked forward to these stake outs.

It was her duty. But somehow she realized when things had changed. The day her notes strayed from his activities with fellow Vocal Adrenaline members she knew. She caught herself writing about the color of his hair, and the way his eyes sparkled. The way his clothes fit... She wrote it all in such a way that she wanted to blush and gag simultaneously at the sappy words.

That was how it started.

Then she started changing things little by little. She made sure her skirts showcased her legs. She unbuttoned one more button from her top. She made sure her hair was just a little curlier and she wore makeup. She started becoming what Kurt had tried to turn her into. It was all in the hops that if he glanced her way she would know she looked good. So, yes, maybe she looked forward to this a little too much.

"Hey Stalkerina"

Her brown eyes shot up from her lap and landed on Puck. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyebrow was raised. He made some sort of gesture toward the sheet music in her lap. In the back of her mind she remembered that she should be singing.

"Don't call me that," She hissed, more angry than she should be. "I'm not a stalker."

Because she wasn't. Well, not really.


	3. Confidence

**Author's Note**: I'm still waiting for a name to give Mr. Groff's character. Until one is given he's just going to be him. I want a name, ugh.

**Disclaimer**: See first chapter.

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She didn't know when it happened exactly. She had no clue just when she caught herself falling for him. All she knew was that it had happened. When she blushed or smiled it wasn't her acting. It was real. It was as real as it could be. Sure, maybe this had started as an investigation but it had evolved far beyond that now. She'd love to return to the previous state if she could. But she couldn't.

So yeah she was trembling as she made her way on stage. It was the first time something like that ever happened. Especially not at some karaoke bar. She wasn't even sure why she was here. But of course that was a lie. She was told to be here because _he_ would be here. So she had agreed and now here she was. Her shaky hands gripped the microphone and her eyes shut just briefly. She was trying to tune everything out so she could perform. When her eyes opened she knew it had worked.

The music chimed in then. It was some popular song she recognized but if someone asked her later she wouldn't be able to give the name. Her lips moved on their own and her voice filled the room. She wasn't stupid. She knew how vain she could be when her voice was involved. So she knew the vain sort of tone her thoughts took on when she realized all eyes were on her. Even his were.

When she finished his eyes were still on her. But he was smiling. He was smiling just for her as he clapped. She took notice that the girl he was with had considerably paled. And somehow that made her smile grow. So she exited the stage confident. She practically reeked of it. Confidence. It felt good, she decided. She kept that in mind as she walked right past his table, loving the way his body turned to watch her leave.

So she didn't know when she fell for him. But it was then she decided she would be in control of how hard and fast she fell.


	4. Flare of Jealousy

**Authors Note**: I keep forgetting to thank my reviewers! So before I continue on, a big thank you to: xnerdark, TheFaceInTheCrowd, sweetvoyce, and JM for reviewing chapters one through three!

This one took a little longer to get out. I currently have two other chapters, not counting this one, ready to be uploaded. However I'm trying to make sure I have at least two more written before updating. It keeps me on track.

Thank you to all of you that have favorited this or added it to your story alerts! It means so much to me! Don't forget to stop and leave me a review!

* * *

She didn't know why she did it. She didn't understand why she put herself through the torment. Sure she smiled on the outside but inside she was suffering. Seeing him with what's-her-face made her cringe. It didn't help that he seemed to be flashing her around. She was a prize to him, a trophy. She assumed it must have been the best award ever as the two of them stumbled back to their table grinning like idiots. She glanced over her shoulder. They had been heading back from the rest room together. Her brow furrowed and she managed to attempt to hide her disgust. She sighed before flipping to a blank page and scribbled away fiercely, stabbing the paper violently with a pen.

_Takes fellow __female__ Vocal Adrenaline members out on dates and charms them._

She frowned and tapped her fingers against the wood of the table. Partaking in such activities would make someone lose focus wouldn't it? Unless they assumed they already had the competition in the bag. She pushed her belongings into the bag she had with her and dropped a couple a bills on the table. Her confidence from her previous triumph had deflated once she saw his hand on her thigh. When the door shut silently behind her she felt a little better. But a look behind her at the giggling pair set off her horrid mood once more.

She spun on her heel to make her signature dramatic exit only to collide with a warm body. Horrified she stumbled back a couple of steps and her chocolate eyes shot up. She fought back her laughter. Puck was staring at her with wide eyes. His arm was extending out in front of him and in his hand he held something she would recognize anywhere. At that moment she swore the grape slushie was mocking her.

"Berry you are so lucky I grabbed a lid this time!"

She still didn't move after he spoke. She noticed the straw tucked behind his ear before focusing on the cup itself. She eyes it warily, still not trusting him. It would be so easy to just pry off the lid and throw the slushie in her face. But he didn't move. It wasn't until he unwrapped the straw and stuck it in his drink that she relaxed. Once he actually took a drink she relaxed further.

"That him?" He asked with a nod of his head.

She didn't turn around at first. She wanted to avoid it. She didn't want to see. But she did it; she twisted until she could see them through the glass. She couldn't stop the flare of jealousy that spread throughout her body while staring at the pair. She made some form of a scoffing noise before turning to face Puck. She did not like the amusement that played across his features one bit.

"Yeah, that's him," She huffed before flipping her dark hair over her shoulder and walking away.

Now there was her dramatic exit.


	5. Time to Infiltrate

**Author's Note**: Sorry this one took so long to get out. I've fallen behind on my writing. I have one more chapter written after this one but I'd like to have a couple more before updating again.

Either way thank you to all of you for adding this to your story alerts and favorites! And thank you to littlewhitelie91 and xnerdark for reviewing the last chapter.

Don't forget to leave me feedback on your way out.

* * *

"This isn't working,"

Santana's voice rang loud in her ears. Her eyes were lowered and her eyelids threatened to drop. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Her target was out late most nights. It surprised her some. She figured he would be the sort of person who religiously took care of what they did to preserve their voice by any means necessary. But he was out nearly every evening. It also didn't help that when she actually got home at night she found herself unable to sleep. He plagued her in her waking state and even in her dreams.

"What isn't working?" Finn asked after a beat. She didn't even bother to look up after he spoke. Her eyes and her head felt too heavy. It was too much of an effort. So she sat there looking rather pathetic while she waited for the answer.

"Having Rachel stalk-"

"I'm not a sta-"

"Yeah, sure you aren't," Santana snapped before Rachel could finish her sentence. For once she held her tongue. She was too tired to care.

"I agree. If we want to find out what Vocal Adrenaline is up to then it's time to infiltrate." Rachel noted that Mercedes sounded cool and confident. That wasn't unusual. Nor was it unusual to see Kurt nod and high five her afterward. But Rachel stayed silent. She shook her head once. She was fighting to keep her eyes open now.

"I don't know," Finn began with his face scrunched up to display how much he didn't know. "If we cheat that makes us just as low as the other teams that cheated to win Sectionals."

"Plus I find it highly unlikely that any of us will be able to get into the group when we don't go to the school," Artie spoke from the corner, his hands folded neatly in his lap.

"If I may, I believe Mercedes did not mean it quite so literally," Kurt spoke up for the first time. He had a smile on his face as he sat upright with his legs crossed. "We need someone on the inside, someone to be our eyes and ears. However they don't necessarily have to be in the group."

"Sleeping with the enemy?" Matt questioned after a beat.

"Exactly," Santana chimed in with a look of satisfaction.

Rachel groaned lightly. It was the first sound they had heard since her outburst. She ran a hand through her hair and yawned. She blinked repeatedly to wake herself up. Her head was foggy, she noted groggily. She could guess the direction the conversation had steered toward even though she had managed to fall asleep.

"I nominate Rachel," Santana cooed with a quick smile. "Normally I would volunteer but I go for more of the jock type."

"Oh, please no," Rachel mumbled as the rest of the club agreed. Finn hesitated and chose not to answer and she was thankful for that. But she knew she had lost the argument before it had even begun. The club had cornered her and, if she was being honest with herself, she just didn't have the energy to fight back. So she grumbled to herself and sighed with irritation before shrugging her shoulders and chose to remain silent the rest of rehearsal.

So much for sleep, she thought bitterly.


	6. On Fire

**Author's Note**: Thank you to those of you that have been reviewing and adding this to your favorites and story alerts! Please keep it up!

I'm hoping I get a name for his character soon since scenes with Groff are getting filmed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

* * *

Time. That was what she needed. That was all she need. The more of it the better. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she wasn't ready for this. Well, that was obviously true since both Brittany and Finn knew it. But the glee club still pushed her to do it. They didn't understand that she needed more time. They all assumed that a day was more than enough. They weren't even close. Even she knew she would need days and days before she would be ready. They just didn't understand.

The same thought filtered through her head. It was like a song on repeat. She still wanted to listen but at the same time she was growing tired of it. She could only take so much self doubt before she wanted to explode. To quote Puck, even she wanted to set herself on fire. At least then she wouldn't be forced to go through with this madness.

But it wasn't madness, not really, her mind argued. It all made perfect sense actually. The plan wasn't exactly well thought out but she did not doubt its success. She was almost certain that if they could cozy up to a member they would be successful. What she doubted was the person they chose on both ends. Personally she believed Santana would be far better for the job. She also believed that they had made a huge mistake by choosing the male lead as the target.

Surly he would be more suspicious than the rest of them. He served as the caption. Attacking him was suicide. But maybe, just maybe, this could work. If she could actually manage to get under his skin without making him suspicious there could be a chance. All she knew was that she at least had to try. She owed the club that much.

But as she curled her hair and applied the last bit of makeup she wished she had more time. She needed time.


	7. Skirts and Stars

**Author's Note**: Thank you for all the reviews. Please keep them coming!

Oh and if any of you happen to discover Groff's character name please PM me. It's driving me insane not knowing.

* * *

Wearing skirts was sort of her signature thing.

Rachel pulled skirt after skirt from her closet and threw it onto the bed. The pile was growing higher and higher with each passing minute. There were various shades of colors scattered about and she spotted multiple plaid patterns. But none of them was what she was looking for. She wanted something simple, the complete opposite of what she would usually wear. But her heart rate increased as she grew panicked and realized her closet was almost entirely empty. It only added to the frustration building within her and she feared it would burst. It wasn't until her fingers brushed across jean fabric that she allowed herself to smile. In her hands she held a jean skirt.

Rachel's grin fell from her face instant as soon as she saw the clothing article in the light. It was old, very old. She suspected it might have been from elementary school if not middle school. The fabric was worn but still barely wearable. The pockets were littered with flowers and butterflies and ladybugs. The hem of the skirt looks like a bedazzler exploded, she noted with a grimace. It had been a favorite skirt of hers growing up but it wouldn't work for her task. No, it wouldn't work the slightest bit.

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply before nearly screaming and flinging the skirt across the room. She wanted to cry and pull her hair out all at once. She didn't have much time. Sure she could settle for plain jeans...but. She sighed and fell backward onto her bed. But this was a first impression and skirts were her thing. Of course there was always the plaid...

She visibly jumped then because her phone had gone off. The sound alerted her that she had a new text message and she flipped over to begin looking for the phone. She began digging for it frantically until her finger tips brushed against the comforter beneath the mass of clothes until she at last grasped the small object. The text was from Kurt and despite everything that had managed to occur in the past five minutes it had her giggling softly.

_There's a bag in the back of your closet. Santana and I picked out your outfit. Skirts are necessary right? There's also something else included that's a signature thing of yours._

Her feet seemed to move on their own as she raced toward the closet. She fell to her knees as she reached inside and let a sigh of relief slip past her lips as she grabbed the bag. Once the zipper was out of the way she pulled whatever she had grasped where she could see it and grinned. It was a jean skirt and on one pocket there was a single, small, gold star.

Skirts and stars. If there was every two things to describe Rachel Berry, aside from her boast worthy talent of course, that would be it.


	8. Nervous Applause

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long. I haven't been writing for this story really but I'm hoping to get back into it. Groff's name will be Jesse, good to know right?

How about that new Glee promo? I cannot wait until April for some Lea/Groff ness.

Please leave me a review letting me know what you think.

* * *

The audience around her burst into applause. The sound roared in her ears until it was nearly louder than her heart beat.

Or maybe the applause was her heart beat? They both had the same rhythm but she swore the jittery _thump thump_ was louder. But no one else seemed to hear it as they cheered for the flashy show choir. No one paid any attention to it at all, she realized with a small smile. That was a small victory for her. Now no one would be aware of just how nervous she was.

After all they couldn't hear her heartbeat. They couldn't feel her sweaty palms. They couldn't see the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. They couldn't even hear the way her breath caught in her throat every now and again. Nobody noticed a thing. But then again, who would believe them if they did?

Rachel Berry didn't do nerves. She hadn't felt butterflies like these since her very first dance recital. Well, she had felt them with Finn and maybe Puck and Mr. Schu but those were silly little crush butterflies and they didn't compare. Well, Finn had been a little something more but she had come down from whatever cloud she had been on. The point was that she hadn't felt those nervous butterflies. She had felt self doubt with the boys.

Nerves were something entirely new. And in the back of her mind she knew she was well equipped to handle it. But at the moment? They were eating away at her.

Even as she quietly slipped out of the auditorium before the end of their last number they were present. Because she knew that she would wind up coming face to face with him in an hour or so. That was definitely the logical cause for her nerves. Her stomach was doing cart wheels and it was getting much harder for her to ignore.

The applause was deafening at the end. She could hear it outside the building. It was just as loud as her heart beat and the fluttering wings of those pesky butterflies.


	9. Strange Glint

**Author's Note**: Sorry for that huge break where I didn't update. It was really silly actually; I've had these next few chapters written for quite some time. Honestly? I was just way too lazy to type and upload them, but I am now.

The whole Glee returning Tuesday (AHHH!!!) kind of made me realize I should probably update. I want to finish this before then actually.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I care for your thoughts people!

* * *

The room was humming.

Or, it seemed to be to Rachel. It was buzzing with light chatter and soft giggles. An occasional holler was heard usually accompanied by a wolf whistle trailing after. She could identify every sound and where and who it originated from. She couldn't exactly help it. She had been people watching for ten minutes now. She was trying to work up the courage to introduce herself. But she could not forced herself to walk anywhere near his general direction. So she was firmly planted in her seat, left to observe who sang sharp and who sang flat. The karaoke machine was in constant use.

Her brow rose in slight disbelief at how horribly the current singer's voice cracked. She did not like to judge people. After all, she had been judged her entire life, but that last note had been utterly unbelievable. And for the wrong reason. She swore her ears were left ringing afterward. Perhaps she was just being overdramatic though. Honestly she did not doubt that she was. However she clapped along with the rest of the bodies crowded in the room. Her urge to sing had become a constant itch and she knew as soon as she stood up there would be no stopping her.

The stage was under her feet and her hangs were clutching a microphone before she really understood what was going one. But it was like a switch was flipped inside of her. A smile spread across her lips until it was nearly a full blown grin. When the music started she found herself staying. She was a part of the music. Her voice joined, carrying into her performance the way she would any other. An audience was an audience in her book and this particular one loved every second of the song.

Her voice reached its final crescendo before stopping all together. The silence that continued afterward hung longer than what she was used to. It was unsettling but she did not allow her smile to falter. When the clapping finally started a sense of great relief washed over her. The cat calling picked up again and she recognized one of the voices. Her eyes scanned the crowd, spotting the dark curls she was familiar with. But she did not allow her eyes to linger. That would give her away. She was met with a pleasant surprise when she exited the stage.

"You were amazing. Honestly, you are the best performer I've seen so far," The voice came from her desired target. She realized it was strange hearing him talk instead of sing but his voice still held that musical quality.

"Thank you," She flushed, slipping into her part. His eyes were shining; there was a strange glint there when she held out her hand for him to shake. "I'm Rachel Berry,"

The room was still humming but now her voice joined the rest.


	10. Well Suited

His name was Jesse.

Rachel caught herself daydreaming about him during glee rehearsal on Monday. Mr. Shu had been working out parts with Finn and Puck over by the piano leaving the rest of the kids to do whatever they pleased until then. Well, that was not entirely true. What he had told them to do was try and sight read their own part until he could work with them. But, as usual, no one really took the instructions seriously. Which would explain why Mercedes and Kurt were smearing some shade of color on Tina's eyes with Artie nodding in approval. It would explain why Mike and Matt were discussing football plays while Brittany and Santana were going over Coach Sylvester's new routine. It would certainly explain why Quinn was, more or less, pouting over at the two cheerleaders, with a hand resting on her growing baby bump. Maybe it could even explain why Rachel's thoughts kept traveling back to him.

Her eyes had been trained on the sheet music but she wasn't really seeing the notes. They were just dark blots on the page. Her thoughts had abandoned the music long ago. Now they were focused on a certain boy with brown curls and blue eyes. Her thoughts were skipping around the events of Saturday night, shaking his hand, watching him smile. Though, for reasons she did not quite comprehend, when Santana had called for a briefing Rachel had not been able to recall a single thing either of them said to each other. The Latina had been furious and Rachel had suffered so much verbal abuse that she nearly started crying. But as soon as that one single sentence left her lips the situation made a complete turn.

"_We have a date Friday night."_

And now, ever since Saturday, Friday was all she could think about. It was interfering with her daily life. In history her teacher had called on her thinking his beloved straight A student would have the answer to a question that had left the other students befuddled. She had asked him to repeat the question. She, Rachel Berry, had asked him to repeat it! Not only that but she had started to say the wrong answer. Even now she could not concentrate on glee club, the most important part of her day. Frankly, she was not too thrilled about the turn of events. But at the same time she could not stop herself from thinking about him.

Her mind was filled with the images. His brown hair styled just the right way. His blue eyes with the navy and grey flecks in them. She also noticed that the light danced in them when he laughed. His voice with the musical quality that only grew more intense when he sang. She had also caught the envious looks his team members had shot her way. He had caught them too because they made his smile grow. He was cocky and so sure of himself. Sadly, she found it attractive.

His name was Jesse, a well-suited name, and he was all she could think about.


	11. Slow Motion Eruption

**Author's Note**: So I'm kind of racing to finish this, only not really. The last three chapters (including this one) are done and just need to be uploaded. Yes, this story has come to an end. Groff will be on the show starting tonight and I had planned on ending this story before he appeared so there you have it. My story is bound to be different so take it as it is and you can enjoy the show from there.

Review please!

* * *

Maybe what she was doing was wrong.

That was probably the most prominent thought etched into her brain the following Monday. Rachel was on cloud nine, her mind still focused on Friday. The day had been everything she hoped it would be. Later she would decide that waiting a week for a Friday had never seemed so long. It was never really this much worth it either. But it had been. Oh, it had been! It had left her with a permanent smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her cheeks ached from the gesture but she could not stop. No matter what negative thoughts that were thrown at her that grin stuck. But she still thought it was wrong.

She felt dirty, her skin crawled. At the moment, with a all the glee kids staring at her, she wanted to make a run for it. And if she could have she would have ran far, far away. Because right now she felt like an ant under a magnifying glass. One flick of a child's wrist and she would be burned away to nothing. Only the heat wasn't passing through glass from the sin. No, the heat came from multiple pairs of eyes around her. One pair in particular had her cringing although that dumb smile of hers was still in place. They belonged to a certain Latina she did not want to piss off. Too bad she already had.

If there was an award for a glaring contest Santana definitely would have won first place. Rachel would have tied the biggest and prettiest blue ribbon on the girl herself if it could keep her from glaring. Only she didn't have a ribbon. This wasn't a competition either. Santana's fury was very real and she really did not want to be the center of attention when it came to that anger. But she was. Yet she still managed to watch with misplaced fascination as the cheerleader did her best to calm down. It didn't help because she exploded anyway.

It was like a slow motion eruption. The kind they display on nature shows when lava leaks out of a volcano. Santana's voice was loud with anger and frustration. There was annoyance there too. The sound rose and fell, ebbing away on certain phrases. Her voice was a steady pulse in Rachel's ears. She wouldn't be able to tune it out if she tried. So instead, while her ears felt like bleeding, she focused on the faces of other members. Finn looked absolutely horrified. Puck looked mildly frightened. Kurt and Mercedes' amusement was fading to worry. Artie and Tina had wide eyes and dropped jaws. Quinn's lips were pulled into a silent gasp. Brittany looked like a fish while staring at the ground. Mike and Matt had stumbled away a couple of steps. And Rachel was still smiling.

From what she could gather by Santana's shouting (all the sounds were muffled together) she was ready to push Rachel off of a very tall building. Santana was insisting Rachel wasn't doing her job. Was that because she had not gathered information on Vocal Adrenaline after one date? Probably. Yes, that was way. This caused Rachel's grin to falter for the first time. She actually liked this guy. But she was just a puppet and Santana was pulling the strings. So she found her lips were moving, saying exactly what the rest of the club wanted to hear. She would gather information, she knew her job. And that was when Mr. Shu walked in. As everything filtered back to normal she sighed.

Yes, this most certainly was wrong. But she couldn't back out now.


	12. He Can't Compete

**Author's Note**: Inspiration for this bit came from literally 2 seconds of a clip I saw in a preview for Glee.

Please leave me a review!

* * *

Usually right about now she would be cheering as loud as the rest of them.

Usually was the key word. At the moment Rachel could not bring herself to jump into the air shouting at the top of her lungs. She was not wearing her signature t-shirt either. That shirt was far too loud for this event. It drew too much attention. Right now she specifically did not want to draw attention to herself. Maybe that would explain why she now sat still, quiet. She was the perfect lady, hands folded in her lap and all. It was all so strange.

Numbers on the score board changed, a buzzer screeched. Rachel nearly jumped to her feet cheering but she held back. It felt strange, holding herself back. She had almost allowed herself to revert back to her usual character. The one that always is just a little too bubbly. The one that can only be described as irritating most of the time. But by some crazy occurrence she did. Even from where she was sitting she could spot the looks of appreciation from Brittany and Santana who were standing along the side lines. Their cheerleader uniforms called attention to themselves to Rachel was sure everyone else caught it as well. Not that it mattered any.

"Was that your friend who just scored that point?"

The voice to her left drew herself back to him. His body was turned to face her, sitting so close that their legs were touching. Her knees brushed against his. His smile was higher in one corner, she noticed, and one brow was raised just a little higher as he waited for an answer. She felt herself smile in return, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She glanced once toward the court as if to reassure herself of the answer she was prepared to share. Though, she admitted to herself, she really did not need to. She clearly had seen the boy in question.

"Yeah, that was Finn," She replied, trying to keep any sort of emotion out of her voice.

"Hmm, a jock that can sing," He mused aloud. "I wouldn't have pegged him for the type to sing at all,"

"But he does," She said a little too quickly, "He's okay,"

That was a lie. Finn was so much more than okay to her. Finn, regrettably, had incredible talent. Others agreed obviously. Plus she certainly would not have been such a strong female vocal lead if it had not been for him. Though she was not prepared to dump all of that on Jesse. Her feelings for Finn had not faded entirely and she had a feeling that the boy next to her was well aware of that. She didn't want any fighting, but maybe it would have been exciting. She brushed the thought away quickly, she did not want that to happen. Just like she did not want to notice that Finn had shot a look her way, his face contorting into an adorably confused state.

"But he can't compete right?" His tone was playful but Rachel suspected he was being completely serious. She just smiled in return, taking her hand in his.

Yes, usually she would have been screeching just as loud as the rest of the people around her when Finn scored the winning point. But somehow she just could not allow herself to focus on Finn when Jesse was staring at her that way.


	13. I Quit

**Author's Note**: This is it kids. It's been a fun ride.

Review please.

* * *

The glee club kids were furious, seething even.

That was the first thought that danced across her mind once she saw them. Well, that and that she had never seen a more angry pair of misfits. They weren't just glaring daggers, they were glaring Samuri swords. Oh, and those swords were about ready to decapitate her, or slice her in two. Either way would be gory and gruesome. Which she suspected was what they really desired to see. Maybe they would mix things up and do both. That way they could either rest her head on a platter or mount it on a spike. It would be one twisted trophy. She did not even want to picture Mr. Shu's face if he were to ever see it.

"What do you mean you quit? You can't quit!"

Rachel did want to cringe then. The voice did not belong to Santana like she expected it to. No, this voice came from Matt whom she had never really spoken a word to. And his tone told her he was absolutely livid. It was then that Rachel really did allow herself to look at the members of this club she cared so much about. Every single one of them had some form of anger plastered onto their face. Even Puck, who had started treating her just a little more nicely, was openly glaring and she feared that they were back to square one. Then there was Finn, sweet, adorable (if not idiotic), Finn. He was angry too, she could see, though she knew he would place himself as her ally if no one else came to her rescue.

"You can't back out of this now. That was never an option." Santana's voice finally rang out but Rachel was so used to it at this point.

"The whole point of this entire thing was to gather information," Puck began, agreeing with the cheerleader. "You've been at this for weeks. You can't bail out so late in the game!"

Everything seemed to erupt into chaos then. Everyone chose to speak at once. There was just a loud buzz of raised voices in the room. Eventually the sound did fade to a mere buzzing. Or at least it did for Rachel. By the color of red paiting each face she knew that they were still berating her. But she had learned long ago how to tune out something she did not want to hear. And she did not want to hear any of this. It was just too much for her to stand. She felt like screaming back. She would even do it while ignoring the strain it would put on her voice. But she held back.

"Are you even listening?" Santana screeched.

Someone pushed against her chair, she realized, and fell forward. She flicked wisps of dark hair out of her eyes and sat a little straighter. She had taken her stand and she was refusing to back down. Her fingers ached from clutching her chair so tightly. Her breath was shaky when she released it. She stood then with a such a force that the chair scooted back. Without a word she bent to retrieve her things, scooping them into her arms as tears threatened to blind her. But she kept her gaze lowered so they could not notice them.

"You heard me. I quit,"

She left a room full of Glee kids that had started out furious. Now it all faded to shock.


End file.
